RAGING ORANGE

Now that winter is officially over and spring is gently stepping in; I think we could all get into the mood for some serious spring cleaning and a makeover for the interiors to turn our homes trendy and stylish for the summer and then on.

To begin with, let me introduce you straight to the colour theme of the year. Believe it or not, the dominating colour for 2012 in fashion and interiors alike, as declared by International colour authorities Pantone is Tangerine Tango. A reddish deep orange which is already dotting the display windows of the clothes and accessories showrooms around town. It is only a matter of weeks before you notice the colour on cushions, throws, home linen and crockery in the up-market interior décor store like Goodearth. But that is another matter.

What interests me (and I have done a bit of looking all over to see what could work best with such a firey colour) is how can one work with a shade already so vibrant that one could easily slip into the risky zone of over-doing things. So my advice to all trendy décor enthusiasts like me is to keep it minimal. Use orange against neutrals and natural fabric and textures. Beige and browns compliment orange very well. Let me illustrate a bit further, suppose you have a dinner planned for a couple of people and you wish to make the table layout look fabulously ‘IN’, then use neutral shade mats, orange napkin holders, some orange table décor like fruits or flowers. Less should be more for this shade and prevent it from being overwhelming.

In your drawing room, simply bring in a flaming orange rug and some table décor in the shade, this colour can go very far as accents and not really a dominant tint.

For the bedroom, orange can be too energetic to prevent a leisurely sleep, so keep it minimal here as well; but you can surely get some fun orange cushions for the bed. 

According to colour therapists, Orange can aid in unleashing latent creative energies. In terms of spiritual healing, Orange is the colour of the Sacral chakra which helps us in realizing ourselves by enhancing our self-worth. Poised between red and yellow, orange is the colour for warmth and friendly cheer.

Hope it brings good things all around in 2012!